Issue link: https://catalog.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1023533
21 Editor's Note: On Aug. 31, the National Iowa Varsity Club welcomed seven members into its 30th Hall of Fame class at the Coralville Marriott Hotel and Convention Center. e inductees were introduced at halime of the Northern Illinois-Iowa football game Sept. 1 inside Kinnick Stadium. L ayne Anderson has watched thousands of track and field athletes during his career and the former University of Iowa women's coach knows all runners are not created equal. Specifically, there was something different and distinctive about Kineke Alexander. "On the athletic side of things, Kineke was gied with things that most other young ladies will never have," Anderson said. "She has talent, God-given ability, speed, and endurance." Alexander, a native of the Caribbean country St. Vincent and the Grenadines, starred on the track for the Hawkeyes from 2005-08. She was discovered by former Iowa coach James Grant at a competition in Barbados. Grant, who grew up and coached in Jamaica, died in 2007. "I was interested in Iowa because of coach Grant," Alexander said. "He seemed nice and he was Caribbean as well, so I felt comfortable with that. at's when I decided on Iowa." When it comes to sport popularity in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, track and field takes a back seat to cricket and soccer, among others. Still, Alexander ascended the ranks in primary and secondary school and running became her ticket to the United States. "I am from a poor family in the Caribbean, so through running I was hoping to be among that next generation that gets out and does something," Alexander said. "I didn't want to limit myself to going to high school and staying in St. Vincent. Everybody said I had potential and talent and that's when I realized I could use running to help myself and family." When Alexander arrived at Iowa, she bonded with Shellene Williams-Davis, who had just completed her two-year career with the Hawkeyes and was serving as interim assistant coach. "e girls that were from the Caribbean were going through the same thing, so we helped and supported each other, especially Shellene," Alexander said. "Shellene was the mother of the team and she helped all of us." Alexander went on to become one of three Iowa women to win an NCAA championship. As a sophomore in 2006, Alexander ran the 400-meter dash final in 52.16 seconds to win the title by 0.01 seconds over Miami senior Dominique Darden. "Nobody expected me to win, I didn't even expect to win," Alexander said. "at was a real shocker." Alexander was in the five-person first, or "slower," section for the final and won by four-tenths of a second over Auburn senior Markita James. e second section included runners with the top four times from the preliminaries, but Alexander's time held. e 400 final included competitors from the states of Florida, Tennessee, Alabama, Texas, Louisiana, and Arkansas.